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Aschenbrenner I, Siebenmorgen T, Lopez A, Parr M, Ruckgaber P, Kerle A, Rührnößl F, Catici D, Haslbeck M, Frishman D, Sattler M, Zacharias M, Feige MJ. Assembly-dependent Structure Formation Shapes Human Interleukin-23 versus Interleukin-12 Secretion. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168300. [PMID: 37805067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family cytokines connect the innate and adaptive branches of the immune system and regulate immune responses. A unique characteristic of this family is that each member is anα:βheterodimer. For human αsubunits it has been shown that they depend on theirβsubunit for structure formation and secretion from cells. Since subunits are shared within the family and IL-12 as well as IL-23 use the same βsubunit, subunit competition may influence cytokine secretion and thus downstream immunological functions. Here, we rationally design a folding-competent human IL-23α subunit that does not depend on itsβsubunit for structure formation. This engineered variant still forms a functional heterodimeric cytokine but shows less chaperone dependency and stronger affinity in assembly with its βsubunit. It forms IL-23 more efficiently than its natural counterpart, skewing the balance of IL-12 and IL-23 towards more IL-23 formation. Together, our study shows that folding-competent human IL-12 familyαsubunits are obtainable by only few mutations and compatible with assembly and function of the cytokine. These findings might suggest that human α subunits have evolved for assembly-dependent folding to maintain and regulate correct IL-12 family member ratios in the light of subunit competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Till Siebenmorgen
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany; Helmholtz Munich, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Institute of Structural Biology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Abraham Lopez
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Bavarian NMR Center, Garching, Germany; Helmholtz Munich, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Institute of Structural Biology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marina Parr
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics, Freising, Germany
| | - Philipp Ruckgaber
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Anna Kerle
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Florian Rührnößl
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Dragana Catici
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Martin Haslbeck
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Frishman
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Sattler
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Bavarian NMR Center, Garching, Germany; Helmholtz Munich, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Institute of Structural Biology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany
| | - Matthias J Feige
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Garching, Germany.
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Liebl K, Aschenbrenner I, Schiller L, Kerle A, Protzer U, Feige MJ. Modeling of the human interleukin 12:receptor complex allows to engineer attenuated cytokine variants. Mol Immunol 2023; 162:38-44. [PMID: 37639747 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) plays major roles in immune defense against intracellular pathogens. By activating T cells and increasing antigen presentation, it is also a very potent anti-tumor molecule. Strong immune activation and systemic toxicity, however, so far limit its potential therapeutic use. Building on recent experimental structures of IL-12 related cytokine:receptor complexes, we here provide a high-resolution computational model of the human IL-12:receptor complex. We design attenuated IL-12 variants with lower receptor binding affinities based on molecular dynamics simulations, and subsequently validate them experimentally. These variants show reduced activation of natural killer cells while maintaining T cell activation. This immunological signature is important to develop IL-12 for cancer treatment, where natural killer cells contribute to severe side-effects. Taken together, our study provides detailed insights into structure and dynamics of the human IL-12:receptor complex and leverages them for engineering attenuated variants to elicit fewer side-effects while maintaining relevant biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korbinian Liebl
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Lisa Schiller
- Institute of Virology, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Kerle
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- Institute of Virology, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Matthias J Feige
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Mideksa YG, Aschenbrenner I, Fux A, Kaylani D, Weiß CA, Nguyen TA, Bach NC, Lang K, Sieber SA, Feige MJ. A comprehensive set of ER protein disulfide isomerase family members supports the biogenesis of proinflammatory interleukin 12 family cytokines. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102677. [PMID: 36336075 PMCID: PMC9731863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokines of the interleukin 12 (IL-12) family are assembled combinatorially from shared α and β subunits. A common theme is that human IL-12 family α subunits remain incompletely structured in isolation until they pair with a designate β subunit. Accordingly, chaperones need to support and control specific assembly processes. It remains incompletely understood, which chaperones are involved in IL-12 family biogenesis. Here, we site-specifically introduce photocrosslinking amino acids into the IL-12 and IL-23 α subunits (IL-12α and IL-23α) for stabilization of transient chaperone-client complexes for mass spectrometry. Our analysis reveals that a large set of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones interacts with IL-12α and IL-23α. Among these chaperones, we focus on protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family members and reveal IL-12 family subunits to be clients of several incompletely characterized PDIs. We find that different PDIs show selectivity for different cysteines in IL-12α and IL-23α. Despite this, PDI binding generally stabilizes unassembled IL-12α and IL-23α against degradation. In contrast, α:β assembly appears robust, and only multiple simultaneous PDI depletions reduce IL-12 secretion. Our comprehensive analysis of the IL-12/IL-23 chaperone machinery reveals a hitherto uncharacterized role for several PDIs in this process. This extends our understanding of how cells accomplish the task of specific protein assembly reactions for signaling processes. Furthermore, our findings show that cytokine secretion can be modulated by targeting specific endoplasmic reticulum chaperones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan G. Mideksa
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Anja Fux
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Dinah Kaylani
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Caroline A.M. Weiß
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Tuan-Anh Nguyen
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Nina C. Bach
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Kathrin Lang
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany,Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan A. Sieber
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Feige
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany,For correspondence: Matthias J. Feige
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Hildenbrand K, Aschenbrenner I, Franke FC, Devergne O, Feige MJ. Biogenesis and engineering of interleukin 12 family cytokines. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:936-949. [PMID: 35691784 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family cytokines are secreted proteins that regulate immune responses. Each family member is a heterodimer and nature uses shared building blocks to assemble the functionally distinct IL-12 cytokines. In recent years we have gained insights into the molecular principles and cellular regulation of IL-12 family biogenesis. For each of the family members, generally one subunit depends on its partner to acquire its native structure and be secreted from immune cells. If unpaired, molecular chaperones retain these subunits in cells. This allows cells to regulate and control secretion of the highly potent IL-12 family cytokines. Molecular insights gained into IL-12 family biogenesis, structure, and function now allow us to engineer IL-12 family cytokines to develop novel immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Hildenbrand
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Fabian C Franke
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Odile Devergne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (Cimi-Paris), 75 013 Paris, France.
| | - Matthias J Feige
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Bohnacker S, Hildenbrand K, Aschenbrenner I, Müller SI, Bieren JEV, Feige MJ. Influence of glycosylation on IL-12 family cytokine biogenesis and function. Mol Immunol 2020; 126:120-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2020.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Müller SI, Aschenbrenner I, Zacharias M, Feige MJ. An Interspecies Analysis Reveals Molecular Construction Principles of Interleukin 27. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:2383-2393. [PMID: 31034891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is a cytokine that regulates inflammatory responses. It is composed of an α subunit (IL-27α) and a β subunit (EBI3), which together form heterodimeric IL-27. Despite this general principle, IL-27 from different species shows distinct characteristics: Human IL-27α is not secreted autonomously while EBI3 is. In mice, the subunits show a reciprocal behavior. The molecular basis and the evolutionary conservation of these differences have remained unclear. They are biologically important, however, since secreted IL-27 subunits can act as cytokines on their own. Here, we show that formation of a single disulfide bond is an evolutionary conserved trait, which determines secretion-competency of IL-27α. Furthermore, combining cell-biological with computational approaches, we provide detailed structural insights into IL-27 heterodimerization and find that it relies on a conserved interface. Lastly, our study reveals a hitherto unknown construction principle of IL-27: one secretion-competent subunit generally pairs with one that depends on the other to induce its secretion. Taken together, these findings significantly extend our understanding of IL-27 biogenesis as a key cytokine and highlight how protein assembly can influence immunoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie I Müller
- Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Physics Department, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Matthias J Feige
- Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Bracharz F, Helmdach D, Aschenbrenner I, Funck N, Wibberg D, Winkler A, Bohnen F, Kalinowski J, Mehlmer N, Brück TB. Harvest of the Oleaginous Microalgae Scenedesmus obtusiusculus by Flocculation From Culture Based on Natural Water Sources. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:200. [PMID: 30619847 PMCID: PMC6305336 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Harvest and dewatering poses a significant economical burden for industrial algae biomass production. To mitigate these effects, energy efficient techniques for these process steps have to be developed. Flocculation of the microalgae Scenedesmus obtusiusculus in salt based medium was induced by pH-shift and alternatively by addition of two biological flocculants, chitosan, and the commercial tannin CFL-PT. This is the first time that CFL-PT is used as an algae flocculant particularly focusing on harvesting of halophilic strains. The method was characterized and subsequently optimized. In comparison to biological flocculants, induction by pH shift is far cheaper, but due to buffering effects of the brackish cultivation medium infeasible amounts of base are required to raise the pH-value. tannin appears to be superior compared to chitosan not only in the absence of algae organic matter (AOM), but tannin-based harvest is also more robust regarding culture pH in presence of AOM. A higher flocculant-demand for modified tannin compared to chitosan is offset by the lower price. Given the employed strain and cultivation conditions, cultivation time had no pronounced effect on flocculation efficiencies (FE) while algae zeta-potential and bacterial communities also remained stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Bracharz
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Helmdach
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Nils Funck
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Wibberg
- Center for Biotechnology-CeBiTec, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anika Winkler
- Center for Biotechnology-CeBiTec, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Jörn Kalinowski
- Center for Biotechnology-CeBiTec, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Norbert Mehlmer
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas B Brück
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
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Reitberger S, Haimerl P, Aschenbrenner I, Esser-von Bieren J, Feige MJ. Assembly-induced folding regulates interleukin 12 biogenesis and secretion. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:8073-8081. [PMID: 28325840 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.782284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the IL-12 family perform essential functions in immunoregulation by connecting innate and adaptive immunity and are emerging therapeutic targets. They are unique among other interleukins in forming heterodimers that arise from extensive subunit sharing within the family, leading to the production of at least four functionally distinct heterodimers from only five subunits. This raises important questions about how the assembly of IL-12 family members is regulated and controlled in the cell. Here, using cell-biological approaches, we have dissected basic principles that underlie the biogenesis of the founding member of the family, IL-12. Within the native IL-12 heterodimer, composed of IL-12α and IL-12β, IL-12α possesses three intramolecular and one intermolecular disulfide bridges. We show that, in isolation, IL-12α fails to form its native structure but, instead, misfolds, forming incorrect disulfide bonds. Co-expression of its β subunit inhibits misfolding and thus allows secretion of biologically active heterodimeric IL-12. On the basis of these findings, we identified the disulfide bonds in IL-12α that are critical for assembly-induced secretion and biological activity of IL-12 versus misfolding and degradation of IL-12α. Surprisingly, two of the three disulfide bridges in IL-12α are dispensable for IL-12 secretion, stability, and biological activity. Extending our findings, we show that misfolding also occurs for IL-23α, another IL-12 family protein. Our results indicate that assembly-induced folding is key in IL-12 family biogenesis and secretion. The identification of essential disulfide bonds that underlie this process lays the basis for a simplified yet functional IL-12 cytokine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Reitberger
- From the Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany and
| | - Pascal Haimerl
- the Center of Allergy and Environment, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, 80802 Munich, Germany
| | - Isabel Aschenbrenner
- From the Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany and
| | - Julia Esser-von Bieren
- the Center of Allergy and Environment, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, 80802 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias J Feige
- From the Center for Integrated Protein Science at the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany and
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Aschenbrenner I. SFA-Basiskurs Kniegelenk. Arthroskopie 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00142-012-0709-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Aschenbrenner I, Beier D, Proescholdt M, Hau P, Brawanski A, Bogdahn U, Beier CP. Einfluss von TGF-beta 1/2 auf die Tumorstammpopulation im Glioblastom. Akt Neurol 2007. [DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-988043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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12
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